USS Reno (CL-96)
History of the USS Reno Cruiser
The USS Reno (CL-96) was ordered for the U.S. Navy before the United States entered World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company in California on August 1, 1941. She was launched on December 23, 1942 and commissioned on December 28, 1943 under the command of Captain Ralph C. Alexander.
USS Reno departed San Francisco, California on April 14, 1944 to join Task Force 58. Her first enemy action came in May when she supported the carrier strikes against Marcus Island and Wake Island. In June and July, she moved on to support operations at Saipan, Pagan Island, Iwo Jima, Haha Jima, and Chichi Jima.
On June 19, the USS Reno took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. From there, she covered the assault on Saipan and the troop landings on Guam.
July and August involved more air strikes against Palau and the Bonin Islands. USS Reno raided Mindanao and other islands in the Philippines from September 9 until September 13. Two days later, she supported the invasion of Palau. From there, she moved on to strike at Manila and the Ryukyu Islands.
The USS Reno struck at Formosa from October 12-14, shooting down six Japanese planes. An enemy torpedo plane crashed into her main deck aft, partially incapacitating Turret No. 6, but the turret captain was able to maintain his fire.
When the USS Princeton was struck by enemy fire during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, USS Reno helped evacuate men and scuttled her when firefighting efforts failed. The next day, the cruiser rejoined her task force for the Battle of Cape Engaño.
On November 3, the USS Reno was struck by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-41. She had to be towed 1,500 miles to Ulithi for temporary repairs before she could sail to Charleston, South Carolina under her own power for permanent repairs, arriving there on March 22, 1945.
Repair work was not completed until after World War II ended, and USS Reno emerged to conduct two Operation Magic Carpet cruises to bring American veterans home from war. She was decommissioned on November 4, 1946. Though reclassified as CLAA-96 on March 18, 1949, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on March 1, 1959 and sold for scrap on March 22, 1962. The cruiser received three battle stars for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences, by John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed
